Russell Butler

Russell is a Senior Traditional Elder of the Banjin and Warragamay people of the Hinchinbrook Island region between Cairns and Townsville. As a boy, Russell learned many traditional skills and stories from his grandmother. “I went to two schools — mainstream school and my grandmother’s school,” he says. “Now it’s my job to teach my sons, to pass on that knowledge and keep those skills and traditions alive.” SIT has had the privilege of working with Russell since 1993. He specializes in teaching students the cultural and material aspects of the traditional Aboriginal lifestyle in coastal North Queensland. Russell uses stories, discussions, and bush walks to teach students ethnobotany, tool making, and Aboriginal environmental philosophy.